Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price MS has called the latest announcement from the UK Government on public service broadcasting as a “latest element in a conscious effort to erode the basic foundations of our democracy.”
Yesterday (Monday 17 January 2022), Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) confirmed that the BBC’s licence fee will be frozen for two years, which represents a severe real-terms cut in the corporation’s funding.
In questions to the First Minister today (Tuesday 18 January 2022), Mr Price asked whether there was a “deeper and darker context”, listing a number of legislative changes from Westminster, which further seek to undermine our democracy.
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price MS said,
“The proposal to defund the BBC is nothing less than a politically motivated skewering designed to throw red meat to the Prime Minister’s dwindling band of supporters and punish a public service broadcaster for doing too good a job of exposing Boris Johnson to be the liar that he is.
“But one must ask whether there a much deeper and darker context here? From legislation to curb the right to peaceful protest, changes to voter ID and the attacks on an independent judiciary; to the pork barrelling in the awarding of grants, cronyism in the awarding of contracts and a prime minister that lies with impunity – the basic foundations of our democracy are being eroded in a conscious effort by the Tories in Westminster.
“Is not the attack on a fair, independent and balanced media not the latest element? The battle over the future of broadcasting is actually a battle over the future of democracy itself. As the saying goes: If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention.”
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